Names by Origin
Irish Names
Names from the Irish-language tradition, many with long histories in Ireland.
Aisling
dream, vision
Aoife
Blathnaid
little flower
Brendan
Bridget
exalted one
Caitríona
pure
Caoimhe
gentle, beautiful
Casey
Cathal
battle ruler
Ciara
dark-haired
Cillian
little church
Conor
lover of hounds
Darragh
oak tree
Declan
full of goodness
Deirdre
Diarmuid
Eabha
life
Eimear
Eoin
God is gracious
Fiadh
wild, untamed
Finn
fair
Fionn
fair, white
Flynn
red-haired
Grady
noble
The Irish-language tradition
Irish (Gaeilge) is a Goidelic Celtic language, and many names in this collection are Irish-language forms with their own spelling and pronunciation. Diacritics such as the fada (á, é, í, ó, ú) mark long vowels and change how a name sounds — Sinéad and Sinead are not pronounced the same. Several entries are anglicised forms of older Irish names, so you will see both Irish-language spellings and the English shapes they settled into over centuries of use.
A long literary history
Irish personal names draw on one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Europe, including early saints, medieval kings, and figures from myth and saga. That does not mean every name here originated exclusively in Ireland — some are shared across the wider Gaelic and Celtic world. Meanings are shown only where the etymology is well supported; for many older names the literal origin is uncertain, and a folk explanation is not the same as an established one.
Meanings are included where reliable information is available. These names reflect a naming tradition, not current popularity in any country.